Tag: best cheesecake

Cheesecake, how I love thee. I think cheesecake has become my new favourite thing to make, it’s so easy (though a bit time-consuming) and so delicious! For our Christmas dessert I made yet another cheesecake. This year I wanted to do something a little different, despite 3 request for the Turtle Cheesecake, I went with Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

I have made some small changes (not noted, somethings just have to be a secret) over the years to make it just right for me, but I still basically follow the recipe I got way back when I started with the Daring Bakers.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I did not take pictures of the process (I know! Crazy isn’t it?) it was late and I was rushing. I remembered just as I was adding the Chocolate chips! Sorry!!

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too – baker’s choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Add chocolate chips and stir

5. Pour batter into prepared crust.

It was at this point I knew my vision of a beautiful chocolate chip cheesecake went completely out the window!!! The batter is so thin and runny every single chocolate chip disappeared – I envisioned them sitting on the Graham crust. I carry on with hope, that they were just below the surface.

6. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

7. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – this can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

The next day, cooled and ready to finish. I remove it from the spring form pan – not one chocolate chip to in sight. Now I know they are all sitting on the crust. Perhaps I change the name to a Chocolate Chip Layer Cheesecake?

Chocolate Ganache

4 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 cup cream

Directions:

1. In a double boiler melt chocolate and corn syrup

2. Stir until combine – I missed the photo of this step because I got MAD. I thought the chocolate had seized on me and I did not have any extra! I thought I was in for another melting the Easter Lindt bunnies as I did for my Turtle Tuxedo Cheesecake.

3. Add cream and stir – at this point I had nothing to lose so I just went with it.

As suspected, all the chocolate chips sank to the bottom. It was not how I envisioned it to look but, WOW was it tasty! It was referred to as ‘sinfully delicious’. It really didn’t taste sweet, even with 2 cups of chocolate chips. It was a huge hit and I will be making this version again!

Mom and Dad were having company this week and asked if I would make a dessert. She knew she wanted a cheesecake but could not decide on a flavour. When I asked what she was looking for she only said “make something ooey and gooey’, instantly I thought of German Chocolate Cake, but in a cheesecake. She loves my German Chocolate Cake and quickly agreed! I had never made a German Chocolate Cheesecake, but I had made a German chocolate Cake as well as a chocolate cheesecake, so I just combined the two.

I used my favourite cheesecake recipe and added some chocolate then topped it with the pecan frosting from my German Chocolate Cake.

9. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

10. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – this can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

3. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans.

4. Cool to room temperature.

Assembly

The next day (yes, the next day! Waiting for cheesecake is horrid!) spread frosting on top of cheesecake and decorate with your favourite chocolate frosting

Look at that! A think of beauty!

I think I said this the last time I made a cheesecake (turtle tuxedo cheesecake with a twist), but this was the best cheesecake I have ever made! Everything came out just perfect! The cheesecake was so smooth and creamy with a decadent chocolate flavour. The pecan frosting was the perfect consistency, just a little ‘drippage’. It was one of those times where you take a bite, close your eyes and say ‘oh my God!’ It was amazing! It was a huge hit at the dinner. Dad does not like coconut so he scraped the topping off and still ate the delicious cheesecake. Not sure I can top this one, though I will continue to try 🙂